Two-factor auth, better support for international users, and more.

AUGUST 2020

View/share online →

Hi *|FNAME|*,

Hard to believe it, but it's been almost a month since we launched the Moonlander. And what a month! When you work on something for three years, it's hard to know how it'll be received when people finally see it. I've been truly humbled, first by the enthusiasm the Moonlander received on launch, and then again, by how patient and kind everyone has been with us as we work to ramp up production. Thank you!

In other news, it feels like it's time for an Oryx update roundup. We've recently enabled two-factor auth, and invested a lot in better international support (including a way for people to contribute). Read more below.

As always, feel free to write me personally - ez@zsa.io is a good address. :)

All the best,
Erez

Two-factor, custom labels, I18n, QMK and more!

Recent Oryx changes

Fun fact: Over half of our team is bilingual (Florian is tri-lingual, in fact). So we really care about international keyboard layouts, and want Oryx to reflect your locale correctly. We've made it easier to label keys with custom characters, and also to contribute entire locales.

Featured User Interview

Ben Chatelain

Chief iOS Engineer

I count five displays in Ben's setup, with an ErgoDox EZ warmly nestled in the epicenter of this battle station. Two studio-quality audio monitors too, and a bucket load of recommendations, right down to a specific brand of cable ties. So great!

"A 900W CyberPower 1500 UPS ensures I don’t lose any data if the blender in our kitchen trips the GFCI outlet on the same circuit as my office."

Layout of the month: Cluck 2020

Creating a keyboard layout is a wonderful creative and introspective experience. I've done my best to map the way that my brain works and put it in to a physical medium. This layout relies on a few key ideas: Symmetry, Redundancy, and Purpose.

Things we liked

Plausible Analytics →

Simple and privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics

Plays nice with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR. Analytics doesn't have to be super intrusive. Not free, but open-source.

What3Words →

///dormant.during.squeaks

Takes the globe, divides it into 3x3m squares, and every square gets three unique words. Easy to speak, easy to text, and even remember. Great for pinpointing locations that don't have a street address, like outdoors, large parking lots, and other wide-open spaces.

WindowSwap →

Open a new window somewhere in the world

Does what it says on the tin. Click a button, see the view out of someone's video, and where that window is located. A beautiful way to tour the world.

Google Arts & Culture →

For the Culturally Curious

A giant repository of visual art, presented beautifully. I like how casual it feels: You can dip in for a five-minute "art break" and then carry on with whatever you were doing. Beats the news for a quick break.

This Meme Does Not Exist →

AI Memes by Imgflip, uncensored

Neural net meets memes. What could possibly go wrong? As they say, "when you finally realize that the old sandwich is a great day."

Tip: We have a subscriber-only link archive with all of the links we shared over the years. Just for you. ❤️

Wallpaper of the month

Why, it's the Moonlander, of course. A slightly more colorful version than the real one, though. :)

Thank you for reading!